Seeing Hinamatsuri dolls festival at Kitsuki Samurai town

We say goodbye to Harmonyland, and we were going to see the Kitsuki Hinamatsuri dolls festival, a special day in Japan. Hinamatsuri is celebrated each year on March 3.

We visited to Kitsuki Samurai town, a venue which the doll festival is held. We parked a car near the samurai town, and take a short walk to the place. We climbed up stone slopes to the Kitadai (北台) samurai houses. 

Unlike other castle towns of Japan, the town is a quite unique structure; the samurai houses are placed on the hill divided into the north and south, and a town of merchants is established in the lowland part between them. In the local, this is called a sandwich type castle town, selling sandwiches as a specificity of the town.

Slopes of Kitsuki: The Suya-no-saka (酢屋の坂) slope which we went up there is in the background, and the Shihoya-no-saka (志保屋の坂) slope which can be seen in the foreground. On the top of the opposite side there is the Minamidai (南台) samurai houses as well as here.

A street view of the Kitadai samurai warrior district. Many traditional houses are left on the hill ground, so you can imagine the sight at that time. 

First we went to the Ohara (大原) samurai house. It seems that was the mansion of the Ohara family who served as the Kitsuki clan's elder. Here is the main venue for Hinamatsuri. 

Various Hina set display at the fusuma room.

An Azuma-ya (東屋) or the Octagonal pavilion. It's the best place to rest, you can take a closer look at the big beautiful garden and the thief-roofed house.

Next we were going to the Noumi (能見) samurai house. There is a tea house inside the building. I drank cappuccino, and my mom had a cup of green tea with a piece of Japanese sweet cake, but I forgot it.

The eastern end of Kitadai leads to a slope called Kanteijou-no-saka (勘定場の坂). From here you can see a part of the Kitsuki Castle keep tower.